http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/
en-usJoseph FolkmanJoseph Folkman's stories.Copyright 2016 Forbes LLChttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/509365f290973d5908f4cf55a5e8836c?s=400&#038;d=mm&#038;r=ghttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/11/30/the-leadership-tightrope-when-male-managers-develop-female-subordinates/
The Leadership Tightrope: When Male Managers Develop Female SubordinatesFor a manager, the greatest benefit is usually in knowing they helped another person to succeed. The organization reaps the long-term benefit of having highly developed supervisors as well. All parties win.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/583f8a9c64aaf9407c603a6eWed, 30 Nov 2016 21:51:00 -05002016-11-30T21:51:00-05:00For a manager, the greatest benefit is usually in knowing they helped another person to succeed. The organization reaps the long-term benefit of having highly developed supervisors as well. All parties win.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/11/10/the-4-vital-keys-to-developing-others/
The 4 Vital Keys To Developing OthersOne of the best ways to increase employee engagement and retention is to improve an individual’s satisfaction with development opportunities in an organization.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5824d8b364aaf93de4c2a9e6Thu, 10 Nov 2016 15:49:00 -05002016-11-10T15:49:00-05:00One of the best ways to increase employee engagement and retention is to improve an individual’s satisfaction with development opportunities in an organization.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/10/21/3-hard-truths-about-developing-your-strengths/
3 Hard Truths About Developing Your StrengthsFind your strengths, discover your genius and find ways to differentiate yourself from others. If there is one thing that most leaders have come to realize about themselves, it’s that they are unique. So by turning your unique abilities into profound strengths, you become an extraordinary leader.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5808133e64aaf93de4c234c7Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:29:00 -04002016-10-21T09:29:00-04:00Find your strengths, discover your genius and find ways to differentiate yourself from others. If there is one thing that most leaders have come to realize about themselves, it’s that they are unique. So by turning your unique abilities into profound strengths, you become an extraordinary leader.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/10/05/millennials-managing-boomers-10-ways-to-bridge-the-ageexperience-gap/
Millennials Managing Boomers: 10 Ways To Bridge The Age/Experience GapToday a lot of newly appointed managers are finding themselves managing direct reports that are 10 or more years their senior. Learn 10 ways to close the age and experience gap.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/57f59c7264aaf93de4c1f2c8Wed, 5 Oct 2016 21:33:00 -04002016-10-05T21:33:00-04:00Today a lot of newly appointed managers are finding themselves managing direct reports that are 10 or more years their senior. Learn 10 ways to close the age and experience gap.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/09/14/the-danger-of-making-average-your-goal/
The Danger Of Making Average Your GoalEffectiveness of messaging and technology around building strengths is the best way to raise the bar on leadership effectiveness.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/57d8a3b264aaf93de4c180a1Wed, 14 Sep 2016 22:12:00 -04002016-09-14T22:12:00-04:00Effectiveness of messaging and technology around building strengths is the best way to raise the bar on leadership effectiveness.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/08/25/its-not-in-my-job-description-5-steps-to-build-company-pride-and-a-sense-of-ownership/
'It's Not In My Job Description': 5 Steps To Build Company Pride And A Sense Of OwnershipHaving a strong sense of pride in the organization you work for may seem trivial, but it can do much to impact bottom line results.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/57bf475464aaf97fcd6f9467Thu, 25 Aug 2016 16:04:00 -04002016-08-25T16:04:00-04:00Having a strong sense of pride in the organization you work for may seem trivial, but it can do much to impact bottom line results.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/08/12/how-bold-leadership-can-help-you-or-hurt-you/
How Bold Leadership Can Help Or Hurt YouBold leaders speak up in difficult conversations, take risks, volunteer for assignments and often think in unconventional ways. However, there are some negative consequences of boldness as well.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/57acaa2564aaf96aaadc07c6Fri, 12 Aug 2016 06:45:00 -04002016-08-12T06:45:00-04:00Bold leaders speak up in difficult conversations, take risks, volunteer for assignments and often think in unconventional ways. However, there are some negative consequences of boldness as well.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/07/27/the-devastating-reality-of-being-picked-last-at-work/
7 Ways To Go From Being 'Picked Last' To First At WorkThese are the characteristics that can help individual contributors differentiate themselves from others and help to increase their likelihood of being chosen first.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/57994c2b64aaf95fe1539052Wed, 27 Jul 2016 20:24:00 -04002016-07-27T20:24:00-04:00These are the characteristics that can help individual contributors differentiate themselves from others and help to increase their likelihood of being chosen first.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/06/29/7-clues-youre-not-as-good-a-coach-as-you-think/
7 Clues You're Not As Good A Coach As You ThinkThe critical test for your effectiveness as a coach is not your belief about your own skills, but rather how the recipients of your coaching would rate your abilities.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/577470b464aaf91e7e935193Wed, 29 Jun 2016 22:05:00 -04002016-06-29T22:05:00-04:00The critical test for your effectiveness as a coach is not your belief about your own skills, but rather how the recipients of your coaching would rate your abilities.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/06/08/are-you-still-maligning-millennials-stop/
Are You Still Maligning Millennials? StopIt may be time to put some of these “garbage” assumptions to rest.Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5758bffa64aaf9337ca89431Wed, 8 Jun 2016 21:33:00 -04002016-06-08T21:33:00-04:00It may be time to put some of these “garbage” assumptions to rest.http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/05/12/as-a-leader-how-bold-should-you-be/
As A Leader, How Bold Should You Be?As U.S. political campaigns ramp up for the 2016 elections, comparisons of the various candidates’ leadership qualities abound. At the same time, business and public sector organizations across the globe are constantly searching for the CEOs who can turn around or supercharge an organization’s success. In the last few years I [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5734cfa2e4b0902e54d46c8fThu, 12 May 2016 15:01:00 -04002016-05-12T15:01:00-04:00As U.S. political campaigns ramp up for the 2016 elections, comparisons of the various candidates’ leadership qualities abound. At the same time, business and public sector organizations across the globe are constantly searching for the CEOs who can turn around or supercharge an organization’s success. In the last few years I [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/05/05/are-your-direct-reports-impacting-your-leadership-effectiveness/
Are Your Direct Reports Impacting Your Leadership Effectiveness?A short time ago I was doing a workshop in New Jersey. One of the participants asked me an interesting question before the workshop began. “Is there any relationship between the effectiveness of a leader and the number of direct reports they manage?” I acknowledged that at Zenger Folkman we had [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/57216c9ce4b0876fd0e55773Thu, 5 May 2016 17:14:00 -04002016-05-05T17:14:00-04:00A short time ago I was doing a workshop in New Jersey. One of the participants asked me an interesting question before the workshop began. “Is there any relationship between the effectiveness of a leader and the number of direct reports they manage?” I acknowledged that at Zenger Folkman we had [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/04/13/are-you-on-the-team-from-hell-5-ways-to-create-a-high-performance-team/
5 Ways To Build A High-Performance TeamHave you ever been part of a great team at work? A team where you loved to come to work every morning, a team that charged you up with energy, and a team that encouraged you to accomplish goals you thought were impossible. On this team you felt a great [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/570ee8b2e4b0876fd0e50495Wed, 13 Apr 2016 22:20:00 -04002016-04-13T22:20:00-04:00Have you ever been part of a great team at work? A team where you loved to come to work every morning, a team that charged you up with energy, and a team that encouraged you to accomplish goals you thought were impossible. On this team you felt a great [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/03/31/the-1-reason-most-personal-development-plans-fail/
The No. 1 Reason Most Personal Development Plans FailIt is no secret that most individual development plans fail. I’ve been in the leadership development industry for over 40 years and I can tell you that statement is true. But after 40 years of teaching, training, observing and testing some of the best and worst leaders in the world [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/56fc65cbe4b0876fd0e4ae3fThu, 31 Mar 2016 06:33:00 -04002016-03-31T06:33:00-04:00It is no secret that most individual development plans fail. I’ve been in the leadership development industry for over 40 years and I can tell you that statement is true. But after 40 years of teaching, training, observing and testing some of the best and worst leaders in the world [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/02/24/do-you-find-it-hard-to-change-perhaps-it-isnt-your-fault/
Do You Find It Hard To Change? Perhaps It Isn't Your FaultI travel frequently. In the past, I would often forget where I parked my car. Sometimes it would take me as long as 20 minutes to find it, which was very frustrating at the end of a long trip. I needed to change this behavior and solve this problem. So [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/56ce357be4b03a4118174e5eWed, 24 Feb 2016 18:44:00 -05002016-02-24T18:44:00-05:00I travel frequently. In the past, I would often forget where I parked my car. Sometimes it would take me as long as 20 minutes to find it, which was very frustrating at the end of a long trip. I needed to change this behavior and solve this problem. So [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/02/03/5-attitudes-that-define-great-leaders/
5 Attitudes That Define Great LeadersI typically work with huge datasets and draw conclusions based on thousands of leaders. Recently, however, I was working with a small dataset of just 30 leaders. These leaders work for a high tech company with more than 60,000 total employees. This group of 30 were considered to be some [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/56b2a93ae4b09b86923e4ae3Wed, 3 Feb 2016 20:58:00 -05002016-02-03T20:58:00-05:00I typically work with huge datasets and draw conclusions based on thousands of leaders. Recently, however, I was working with a small dataset of just 30 leaders. These leaders work for a high tech company with more than 60,000 total employees. This group of 30 were considered to be some [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2016/01/21/does-your-boss-need-some-leadership-development/
Does Your Boss Need Some Leadership Development?In many organizations there seems to be an expectation that when you reach a certain level you don’t need “development opportunities” or training. As I prepare custom programs, the sentiment from upper management in places like this is, “Can you just go fix those people?” However, I’ve worked with a few [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/56a04548e4b08dc4ac808ba7Thu, 21 Jan 2016 17:06:00 -05002016-01-21T17:06:00-05:00In many organizations there seems to be an expectation that when you reach a certain level you don’t need “development opportunities” or training. As I prepare custom programs, the sentiment from upper management in places like this is, “Can you just go fix those people?” However, I’ve worked with a few [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/12/28/to-avoid-a-legacy-of-bad-leadership-do-this/
To Avoid A Legacy Of Bad Leadership, Do ThisEveryone has had a coach, whether in sports, classrooms, lessons, or the workplace. What many don’t realize is that coachesimpact much more than an individual's performance. They influence the way their trainees coach as well. My daughter took voice lessons for years and had one very talented but harsh teacher [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5680ab04e4b08dc4ac7fdf56Mon, 28 Dec 2015 10:38:00 -05002015-12-28T10:38:00-05:00Everyone has had a coach, whether in sports, classrooms, lessons, or the workplace. What many don’t realize is that coachesimpact much more than an individual's performance. They influence the way their trainees coach as well. My daughter took voice lessons for years and had one very talented but harsh teacher [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/12/09/having-a-blue-christmas-here-are-3-ways-to-help-employees-love-their-jobs/
Having A Blue Christmas? Here Are 3 Ways To Help Employees Love Their JobsDo the people you manage love their jobs? Or do you sense that some are dissatisfied or disengaged? It’s no secret that employees who love their jobs work harder and are willing to go the extra mile, which benefits any organization. In my life I have been blessed to always [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5668f465e4b00c0a0c26daf6Wed, 9 Dec 2015 22:55:00 -05002015-12-09T22:55:00-05:00Do the people you manage love their jobs? Or do you sense that some are dissatisfied or disengaged? It’s no secret that employees who love their jobs work harder and are willing to go the extra mile, which benefits any organization. In my life I have been blessed to always [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/11/24/how-much-thanks-are-you-giving-6-ways-to-recognize-others-more-often/
How Much Thanks Are You Giving? 6 Ways To Recognize Others More OftenA few years ago my wife made the mistake of allowing our oldest son to go to an early Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s home. He came home raving about “the best meal he had ever had in his life.” Well the time came for our family Thanksgiving dinner, which [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5654efe5e4b0875cdd53b2feTue, 24 Nov 2015 22:22:00 -05002015-11-24T22:22:00-05:00A few years ago my wife made the mistake of allowing our oldest son to go to an early Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s home. He came home raving about “the best meal he had ever had in his life.” Well the time came for our family Thanksgiving dinner, which [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/11/11/is-inspiring-others-worth-the-effort/
Is Inspiring Others Worth The Effort?As a founder or leader, when you need high performance, what behaviors do you fall back on?Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5643dfd0e4b0d9c1f6d86d86Wed, 11 Nov 2015 20:55:00 -05002015-11-11T20:55:00-05:00As a founder or leader, when you need high performance, what behaviors do you fall back on?http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/10/28/would-your-boss-throw-you-under-the-bus-8-side-effects-of-irresponsible-managers/
Would Your Boss Throw You Under The Bus? 8 Side Effects Of Irresponsible ManagersSeveral years ago I was having a one-on-one conversation with a leader in an oil and gas company. He seemed discouraged and I asked him what was going on. He said, “A few weeks ago I was invited to go to a meeting with our new CEO to present a [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/56316fbde4b0375e492cb311Wed, 28 Oct 2015 22:35:00 -04002015-10-28T22:35:00-04:00Several years ago I was having a one-on-one conversation with a leader in an oil and gas company. He seemed discouraged and I asked him what was going on. He said, “A few weeks ago I was invited to go to a meeting with our new CEO to present a [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/10/01/6-surprising-reasons-younger-managers-perform-best/
6 Surprising Reasons Younger Managers Perform Best“He doesn’t have a lot of experience managing people. Do you think he can do the job?” This is a phrase we hear more frequently as organizations fill the vacancies retiring Baby Boomers leave behind. Recently, a younger friend told me his experience of being hired after receiving his graduate [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/560d2220e4b08c2312f31e08Thu, 1 Oct 2015 08:32:00 -04002015-10-01T08:32:00-04:00“He doesn’t have a lot of experience managing people. Do you think he can do the job?” This is a phrase we hear more frequently as organizations fill the vacancies retiring Baby Boomers leave behind. Recently, a younger friend told me his experience of being hired after receiving his graduate [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/09/17/youre-fired-how-to-avoid-those-dreaded-words/
'You're Fired!' How To Avoid Those Dreaded WordsStock market dips, threats of rising interest rates, bankrupt countries, and the approaching fall of the Chinese market are just a few of the recent economic events that are affecting business. The last economic downturn is still fresh in our minds. The one thing every wants to know is how [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/55fac614e4b08c2312f2cb72Thu, 17 Sep 2015 21:34:00 -04002015-09-17T21:34:00-04:00Stock market dips, threats of rising interest rates, bankrupt countries, and the approaching fall of the Chinese market are just a few of the recent economic events that are affecting business. The last economic downturn is still fresh in our minds. The one thing every wants to know is how [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/09/08/tell-ask-listen-the-3-steps-to-great-communication-as-a-leader/
Tell, Ask, Listen: The 3 Steps To Great Communication As A LeaderIn my research on what defines a great leader I’ve found that the ability to communicate powerfully and prolifically is an essential skill for success. However, most people assume this skill primarily involves talking. A leader can use words to motivate or sway people to act. But true communication involves [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/55ee383fe4b04c43ca38070bTue, 8 Sep 2015 21:14:00 -04002015-09-08T21:14:00-04:00In my research on what defines a great leader I’ve found that the ability to communicate powerfully and prolifically is an essential skill for success. However, most people assume this skill primarily involves talking. A leader can use words to motivate or sway people to act. But true communication involves [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/08/17/which-superpower-would-you-choose-to-fly-or-to-be-invisible/
Which Superpower Would You Choose: To Fly Or To Be Invisible?How much can you learn about someone from a silly question? Since last year we have been collecting data from the business and professional leaders who read our blogs. The question we asked was this, “If you were given a choice of two special powers, which would you prefer? A. [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/55d17117e4b0dee06820bddbMon, 17 Aug 2015 01:46:00 -04002015-08-17T01:46:00-04:00How much can you learn about someone from a silly question? Since last year we have been collecting data from the business and professional leaders who read our blogs. The question we asked was this, “If you were given a choice of two special powers, which would you prefer? A. [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/08/06/nice-guys-finish-last-7-change-behaviors-that-actually-work/
Nice Guys Finish Last: 7 Change Behaviors that Actually WorkRecently I read an article in Inc. by Minda Zetlin about difficult workplace personalities. She talked about Narcissists, Passive-Aggressive Types, Gossips, Anger Addicts and Guilt Trippers. As I read through the descriptions I realized I have worked with all of these types throughout my career. As a leader I can’t [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/55c30151e4b0dee068208d20Thu, 6 Aug 2015 13:06:00 -04002015-08-06T13:06:00-04:00Recently I read an article in Inc. by Minda Zetlin about difficult workplace personalities. She talked about Narcissists, Passive-Aggressive Types, Gossips, Anger Addicts and Guilt Trippers. As I read through the descriptions I realized I have worked with all of these types throughout my career. As a leader I can’t [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/07/23/feeling-overwhelmed-you-are-far-from-alone/
Feeling Overwhelmed? You Are Far From AloneRecently a friend of mine told me about his role as a new project manager in a large healthcare organization. He’s constantly asked to take on the projects of senior leaders and was living in fear that saying “no” would harm his career. As a result he was overwhelmed and [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/55b0494ae4b0dee068203b0bThu, 23 Jul 2015 19:08:00 -04002015-07-23T19:08:00-04:00Recently a friend of mine told me about his role as a new project manager in a large healthcare organization. He’s constantly asked to take on the projects of senior leaders and was living in fear that saying “no” would harm his career. As a result he was overwhelmed and [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/06/25/the-best-way-to-deliver-tough-feedback-stop-talking-and-start-listening/
The Best Way To Deliver Tough Feedback: Stop Talking And Start ListeningIf you think that receiving corrective feedback is stressful and difficult for you, then you might be surprised to learn that your leader is experiencing many of the same feelings. All of this stress and anxiety on both sides makes it very difficult to have a meaningful and productive conversation. [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/558b6843e4b01f0c1d93b87dThu, 25 Jun 2015 09:02:00 -04002015-06-25T09:02:00-04:00If you think that receiving corrective feedback is stressful and difficult for you, then you might be surprised to learn that your leader is experiencing many of the same feelings. All of this stress and anxiety on both sides makes it very difficult to have a meaningful and productive conversation. [...]http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/06/18/bold-leadership-the-4-steps-that-take-leaders-to-another-level/
Bold Leadership: The 4 Steps That Take Leaders To Another LevelIn college, my daughter was dating the man she wanted to marry, but he hadn’t made his mind up about her. He was dating another girl and my daughter at the same time. After a few weeks of this spilt relationship my daughter confidently told him, “I don’t want to [...]Joseph Folkman, ContributorJoseph Folkman, Contributorhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/5582213ce4b01f0c1d9391c6Thu, 18 Jun 2015 18:03:00 -04002015-06-18T18:03:00-04:00In college, my daughter was dating the man she wanted to marry, but he hadn’t made his mind up about her. He was dating another girl and my daughter at the same time. After a few weeks of this spilt relationship my daughter confidently told him, “I don’t want to [...]